| | December 20178CIOReviewDo IT Professionals Have a Social Responsibility?Except for a few involved researchers and interested parties, the world hardly noticed the advent of the internet in 1969 (as ARPANET) when the first host-to-host message was communicated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to Stanford. The invention of the World Wide Web in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee with the associated communication protocols and standards, coupled with emerging technologies such as the PC and the cell phone helped to start the transformation of society into the digital age. The privatization of the internet in the 1990's, and the subsequent emergence of social media, cloud and an increasing number of internet-connected devices, Internet of Things (IoTs) in the new millennium further accelerated this transformation.As a result, the world has changed around us. From agriculture to the space industry, we have seen significant, visible transformations. Personal and organizational wealth, including intellectual property, is also now transitioning to the cyber world. Sadly, so have criminals from across the world that are transitioning to the cyber world.Fortunately, this new cyber world has also given rise to a fast-growing new breed in the workforce that includes direct and indirect IT (cyber) professionals. According to US Department of Labor (DOL), IT jobs are projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. Many of these professionals, from all industries, are helping to build a useful and productive society. However, the cybersecurity environment is constantly changing, so the methods to protect ourselves must evolve with those changes. Most employees have the benefit of cybersecurity awareness resources through their work. However, what about small businesses, mom and pop operations, the unemployed, and retirees? As IT professionals, both direct and indirect (those with IT skills but whose primary roles are not IT), do we have a social responsibility? I believe we do! In addition to our job duties, what can we, as individuals, do for the betterment of society? Some ideas are listed below.Cybersecurity ­ A major area in which IT professionals can do significant good in the community is in cybersecurity and cybersecurity awareness. IT professionals can offer guidance and expertise ranging from coding or app-writing clinics for juniors and seniors in high schools to cybersecurity awareness for various groups such as community groups, churches, small businesses, chambers of commerce, etc. Two especially vulnerable groups that can benefit from the latter activities are K-12 children who are targets on the internet and social media for sexual predators, and retirees who are generally dependent on their retirement By Sam Segran, CIO, Texas Tech UniversityIn My OpinionSam Segran
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